The United Commonwealth
"The Commonwealth has been called a family of nations. And once you've seen a few domestic incidents you quickly realise how true that statement is" - William North, Writer and Social Commentator. The United Commonwealth (UC or U.C.), often refered to simply as the Commonwealth, is an political, economical, and military alliance between Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Although often seen as being dominated by Australia and the UK, the Commonwealth is generally an alliance of equals with each member state having the same level of power as the others. History The UC traces it origins back to the earlier Commonwealth of Nations a political and social organisation made up of members of the former British Empire. The Commonwealth of Nations was formally dissolved in 2045 after nearly a century, although Britain and other key states remained close. In the second half of the 21st century Britain began looking to several Commonwealth countries with the goal of creating a counterpoint to the growing strengths of the Sino-European alliance and the resurgent Russia as well as to fill the vacuum created by the growing isolationism of the United States. Initially this took the form of trade agreements and mutual defence treaties. In 2057 Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom agreed to link their currencies on the Sterling standard, an agreement which was later joined by the Republic of Ireland, the Irish Punt been already linked to the Pound. In 2123 the five nations of the Sterling Agreement, in an effort to increase their influence on the Gaia Initiative, formally merged their higher echelons of government to form the United Commonwealth becoming in effect a single nation. Government The United Commonwealth is a constitutional monarchy. The monarch, currently King Edward XII, is the head of state for all of the member nations although he has only limited executive powers. Day to day political affairs are handled by the two levels of the government - the National Parliments and the Congress. The Parliments of each member state within the Commonwealth consists of a number of elected members from various political parties. The size of these Parliments varies between each member but typically consist of one elected Member per 75'000 voters. Each Parliment has jurisdiction over a number of matters of national importance such as the raising and spending of taxes, immigration and customs control, and most civil and criminal laws. The Commonwealths foreign policy, as well as defence spending, colonial matters, and some legal matters are decided by an elected body known as Congress Congress consists of a number of representatives from each member nation as well as the larger off-world colonies. Two thirds of a countries representatives in Congress are directly elected by the population whilst the remainder are appointed by the ruling party in each countries Parliment. Elections for Congress are held every four years, regardless of when the member states hold their general elections Australia and the UK each send fifteen members to Congress whilst Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and New Wessex each send twelve. The colonies of Trevithick and Wellington send nine members, whilst the Commonwealth Martian Territories and Albion each send three. The chairperson of the Congress, known as the Secretary-General, is appointed for a two year term by the current British monarch. The Secretary-General does not have a vote in Congress, instead they are there to act as a neutral, unbiased voice making sure all opinions and views are allowed equal consideration. The current Secretary-General is Patricia Watson from Australia. The initial plans for Congress called for it to move between the main countries after each election. This plan was dropped once the complexity and costs of the operation were fully calculated. Instead a new, custom built, facility was constructed in Richmond-upon-Thames in Western London. Overview by Nation Australia *'Capital -' Canberra (Pop. 374'891) *'Population - '''37.27 million *'Ethnic Demographics - 'White 76.4%, Chinese 10.2%, South Asian 4.1%, First Nation* 3.1%, Other Asian Nations 3%, Black 2.2%, Other Nationalities >1% Economy Australia has a highly mixed economy with both heavy industry and light manufacturing been the major employers in most cities. Service sector workers make up around 23% of the workforce whilst agriculture supports another 18%. Australia has some of the largest untapped reserves of iron, copper, and nickle in the world as well as several off-shore gas and oil fields which have not been fully exploited Energy Australia is one of the "greenest" energy generators in the world. Over eighty percent of Australia's energy needs are met by renewable sources - mostly solar and wind with some hydro-electric. Australia has just eight fusion powerplants. Australia is an exporter of energy to the ACPL to the north. Transport The sheer size of Australia and the fact that 85% of the population are concentrated in widely scattered urban areas around the coast means that long distance transport links are vital to the country. Australia has some of the longest straight roads in the world, one stretch of the Eyre Highway has no turns for over 146km. The cities and larger towns are also connected by a rail network with over 40'000km of track. Aviation is another important method of communication in Australia with more than a hundred companies operating over a thousand light aircraft across the expanses of the interior. Canada *'Capital -''' Ottowa (Pop. 1.14 million) *'Population - '''46.56 million *'Ethic Demographics - 'White 81%, South Asian 4.05%, Chinese 3.8%, First Nation* 3.8% Other Asian Country 3.52%, Black 2.2%, "Other" 1.63% Economy Agriculture is a major part of the Canadian economy. Canada is a net exporter of foodstuffs such as wheat, corn, and potatoes. Meat and dairy produce are also exported, Canadian ham is famous across the globe and beyond. Energy Nearly half of Canada's energy requirements are met by hydro-electric plants, Canada is the largest producer of hydro-electricity in the world. Another 10% is produced by wind turbines. Because much of the country is located at higher latitudes the potential for solar power is limited to the southern provinces where it generates more than 7% of the countries needs. Transport Like Australia, Canada is a huge country with widely dispersed cities. Between 2130 and 2145 the Canadian government rebuilt almost the entire of the countries high speed rail lines. Over 80'000km of tracks were upgraded and hundred of bridges and tunnel were rebuilt. Thousands of stations were either modernised or rebuilt. Most of these improvements have been maintained and there are an average of 500 million passenger journeys every year Ireland *'Capital - 'Dublin (Pop.722'800) *'Population - '11.75 million *'Ethnic Demographics - 'White 93.5%, South Asian 4.2%, Chinese 1.05%, Other 1.25% New Zealand *'Capital -''' Wellington (Pop. 472'500) *'Population -' 8.21 million *'Ethnic Demographics - '''67.1% White, 15.6% Maori First Nation, Asian 10.04%, Pacific Nations 7.26% United Kingdom *'Capital - 'London (Pop. 9.73 million) *'Population - '82.25 million *'Ethnic Demographics - 'White 87.7%, South Asian 5.62%, Black 2.32%, Mixed 1.2%, Chinese 0.8%, "Other" 0.26% Economy The United Kingdom is primarily a service driven economy, manufacturing accounts for less than 15% of the GDP although this is a slight increase from ten years earlier. Heavy industry is rare, of the items manufactured in the UK most are small electrical appliances and other consumer goods. Electric powered vehicles and aerospace craft are other major areas of production. Agriculture is still a small but important part of the economy - the UK is able to meet around 35% of its own food needs, with another 15-20% coming from either Canada and the UOE. The remaining food requirements are provided by off-world sources, primarily New Wessex. Land reforms and a series of subsidy programmes in the late 21st century have helped may small farmers by reducing overheads. Many farms have remained in the same families for generations. The UK's main trading partners are the other Commonwealth members, the UOE, and the United States Energy Most (85%) of the UK's energy needs are met by fusion power plants. The remaining energy is generated by a mixture of hydro-electric, wind, and tidal power plants. The UK does not receive enough sunlight to make solar power economical on a large scale although there are countless millions of photo-voltaic panels in use for small-scale generation Transport The UK has one of the most comprehensive public transport networks in the world. ''(*)The term "First Nation" was originally coined in Canada to describe several Aboriginal groups and tribes. The phrase was adopted in 2287 by the entire UC to describe any of the more than one thousand recognised indigenous peoples found in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. International Relations The Commonwealth maintains close ties with both the United States and the UOE, which are also the UC's main trading partners. Other allies include the ACPL, India, Saudi Arabia, and Kenya. Off-world the UC was the first country to recognise the independence of the Free Cities of Mars and the two states have maintained good relations ever since. The Commonwealth currently has no direct diplomatic ties with the CEGD or the R-USSR. Colonies and Territories Between them the combined territories of the five member states of the Commonwealth make up the largest country on Earth by area, covering nearly eighteen and a quarter million square kilometres. The total population of the Commonwealth on Earth is just over 165 million according to the last census held in 2400. In addition to the main nations the Commonwealth also controls a number of dependencies across the globe including the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic, Jamica in the Caribbean, and a number of small islands in the Pacific. Finally there is the Commonwealth Sovereign Territory in Kenya, a thirty two square kilometre spaceport and industrial zone leased by the Commonwealth in 2218 for 199 years, the lease was due to expire in 2418 but an 50 year extension was negotiated in 2408. Over 18'000 Kenyans are directly employed by the Territory, generating a huge amount of income for Kenya. Beyond Earth the Commonwealth has a number of colonies scattered across several regions, indeed the Commonwealth is one of the more widespread nations in space. The oldest Commonwealth off-world territory is the Commonwealth Martian Territories descended from the British and Australian outposts which remained loyal to Earth during the Martian independence campaign. The oldest Commonwealth colony outside the Solar system is New Wessex on Gaia, founded just a few years after colonisation began. In the Old Reach the Commonwealth has colonies on Harpers and Wellington (the later being the largest Commonwealth colony by area) as well as a large mining and industrial outpost on Addledorf. The colony of Trevithick on Potomac has the fastest rate of growth of all of the colonies. The Commonwealth's territories on Linc, known as Ironopolis, cover the southern half of the planets surface. Because Linc is a Rock lacking even a reduced atmosphere Ironopolis is not considered a full colony. Sport It is often said that the main connection between the member states of the UC besides a (fairly) common language is their passion for sports. It is also said (only half jokingly) that this same passion could very well tear the Commonwealth apart. The most popular sports across the Commonwealth as a whole are cricket and rugby (both League and Union). The annual Ashes cricket tournament between Australia and Britain is a major sporting event, considered by some to be almost sacred. In the UK football (soccer) remains an important part of day to day life although the days of the multi-billion pound teams is long over. Ireland and New Zealand also have football leagues but the game has never really caught on in Australia or Canada. The Irish game of Hurling has become increasing popular in recent decades especially on New Wessex and Trevithick where the local leagues have over twenty teams each. Military Defence of the Commonwealth is a two tier operation. On Earth each member state is in charge of its own defence arrangements although all five members have a series of mutual defence treaties meaning that an attack against one member will be responded to by all five, including the nuclear armed UK. Military operations beyond Earth are handled by three combined-nation forces - the Royal Space Navy, the Royal Aerospace Force, and the Royal Commonwealth Army. Prior to the 3rd War of Barnard's Star (and the capture of Shangri-La) the general opinion amongst military analysts was that intersteller warfare and planetary invasions were impossible, primarily due to the lack of real-time communications across long distances but also because planetary defences would make an invasion too costly for a nation to consider. Conflicts, it was agreed, would remain "local" affairs limited to the resources available to commanders at the outbreak of hostilities. For this reason the RSN was more concerned with anti-piracy and anti-smuggling duties than war fighting, whilst the RCA was a large, flexible force with major elements deployed across all colonies. The Royal Space Navy The Commonwealth's numerous colonies and outposts, as well as its extensive shipping interests, are protected by the Royal Space Navy (RSN) which is also responsible for power projection. The RSN suffered severe losses during the 3rd War of Barnard's Star, most famously during the Batttle of Nanking in 2397 where a major failure in intelligence led to the bulk of the fleet attacking a superior, if somewhat suprised, Imperial force. Three of the RSN's four fleet carriers (including the recently commissioned Illustrious) were lost in the battle along with their entire fighter wings. Over twenty other capital ships were also lost at Nanking as well as many escorts. For the RSN the bulk of the war was one of convoy protection and shipping raids as it struggled to rebuild. It was only in 2401 that it was able to take part in a major operation, the Battle of Valhalla. The centrepiece for the post-war Navy are the ships of the Lion-class. These battlecruisers are armed with the latest super-luminal cannon as well as updated missiles and laser allowing them to go head to head with any current Imperial or Soviet warships. The Royal Aerospace Force Planetary air defence and close ground support are handled by the Royal Aerospace Force (RAF). During the War RAF squadrons were deployed onboard RSN carriers following the catastrophic losses of the Battle on Nanking and this cooperation continues into peace time. The Royal Commonwealth Army By tradition the Armies of the Commonwealth member-states do not use the "Royal" prefix, although many individual regiments and corps have the word Royal in their name. When the UC began formally organising itself as a super-nation bloc it was agreed that, instead of having five seperate armies working together, the UC Army would be a distinct service with its own high command, each member nation would then contribute a proportion of their overall strength to the newly formed Royal Commonwealth Army (RCA). Traditionally each member state contributes around one third of their army to the RCA, with another third been deployed for home defence. The remaining troops act as a either strategic reserve or are undergoing specialist training. Infantry Each member state of the UC uses the same basic organisational table for its infantry regiments. Each regiment is made up of between three and six regular battalions, supported by two or three reserve battalions (known locally as either Territorial or Volunteer battalions). Each battalion is in turn made up of three rifle companies (with around 120 troops) and a support and maneouver company which operates the battalions support weapons such as mortars and anti-armour missile launchers. It is incredibly rare for a regiment to deploy en-masse. Instead individual battalions are joined together with those from other regiments to form brigade-sized units called battlegroups which will also include armour, artillery, and support units The standard weapon for Commonwealth troops is the L201A1 5.5mm assault rifle, a long serving piece of equipment (entering service in 2371) renowned for its reliability and ruggedness despite its fairly low rate of fire (400-250rpm cyclic). The standard magazine is the L3011 45-round unit. Within the UC the United Kindom maintains fifteen regiments (52 regular battalions) whilst Australia and Canada have twelve regiments each (with 35 and 38 battalions respectively). Ireland maintains five regiments with fifteen battalions, whilst New Zealand with its small population and limited threats has just two regiments totalling six regular and two reserve battalions. Armour Tanks and other armoured vehicles are operated by the Armoured regiments. Unlike the infantry, Armoured regiments each have a single battalion made up of between twenty four and thirty two vehicles. Reserve units, known as Yeoman regiments, would be used to bring understrength armoured regiments up to full strength as well as to replace losses. Deployment One of the main roles of the RCA is colonial defence along side locally raised formations. To this end the RCA maintains garrisons on all of the UC's colonies as well as Shangri-La in the American Corridor. The main deployments are:- *New Wessex (Gaia) - One reinforced mechanised division, one light infantry brigade, one air mobile brigade and one special forces battlegroup. *Commonwealth Martian Territories - One light infantry (extreme environment) brigade. *Wellington (Wellington) - One light infantry division, one mechanised brigade. *Trevithick (Potomac) - One armoured brigade, one light infantry brigade *Albion (Marset) - One light infantry division *Ironopolis (Linc) - One reinforced infantry battlegroup *Shangri-La - One armoured division, one air mobile division, and one special forces battlegroup A Note Regarding the Metric System The member states of the Commonwealth all officially adopted the Metric system by the middle of the 21st century, however a number of terms and measurments remain in popular use, tradition being a far more powerful force that legislation. Public houses, clubs, and taverns are still allowed to sell draught drinks in Imperial Pints, equal to 568mL, whilst some dairies still measure milk yield in pints. Smaller areas of land, such as private gardens and smallholdings (also known as hobby farms) are often described (even in official documents) using acres (or fractions there of) instead of the more correct hectare. Finally two old Imperial terms, the inch and the mile, have been "rounded off" and adopted to mean their metric equivalent. One modern inch equals 25mm whilst a mile equals 1.5km Category:Nations